Holder for supporting cartridge-shells



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. H. FISHER.

HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

Patented Oct. 13, 1885;

fig. 3.

7Zttes 1f I Vela-01".

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

' W H FISHER HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

- Patented Oct. 13, 1885.

WILLIAM HUBBELL FISHER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,018, dated October 13, 1885.

' Application filed January 2, 1885. Serial No. 151,741. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HUBBELL FISHER, a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Supporting (Jartridge Shells, (cartridge shell holders,) of which the following is a specification.

Cartridge-shells for use by sportsmen and others are made of a metal or pasteboard tube provided with a metallic bottom, usually of copper or'brass, and this bottom carries the cap. Small sizes of shells are made altogether of metal-usually of copperand the cap is dispensed with, the fulminating-powder being placed in the rim of the cartridge. These shells, ready for loading, are sold to the trade, and in this condition are purchased by the sportsman,who finds it to his advantage to load his own cartridges. After firing the centralfire shell it may be recapped and reloaded, and may in this way be used four or five times in the case of a pasteboard-shell, and much oftener if the shellbema'de of metal. My device is intended to assist in the process of loading these shells, and while primarily intended for and particularly applicable to the larger sizes of shells, which are to be loaded with powder and shot, it may be adapted to and used with small shells intended to hold powder and bullet.

Shells on account of their shape possess, for the purposes of standing alone while being loaded, an insufficient basal support. It is therefore desirable to have them securely held, and thus prevented from tipping over before the wads are inserted. By being thus held any spilling of the powder and shot is obviated.

The ordinary seating-block at present in use, more particularly for the purposes of assisting in the decapping of shells, is a very cheap and valuable article. This block has a depression cut in its upper surface, into which the shell is placed while being loaded. As seen from theaccompanying drawings,in which this block (indicated by the letter D) is illustrated several times, no lateral support is afforded by it. My device adds to the block a means of lateral support. While my device is so arranged as to be conveniently combined with this block, and hence adapted to be used in conjunction with the larger number of these blocks now in use, it still possesses a character of its own, and is complete without the block.

Another advantage of my invention is to aid in the introduction of wads into the shell. This consists in the fact that it allows the ordinary cylindrical wad-starter hereinafter described to be placed on the shell, and will then support both the wad-starter and the shell in a vertical position, and hold the shell in readiness for receiving the powder, wad, shot, and wad with which it (said shell) is to be loaded.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of the preferred form of blank out of which my device is formed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge-shell. The shell here shown is what is known as a paper shell, but is illustrative in general shape of all the common and widely-used descriptions of cartridge-shells. Fig. 4 is a view of my device combinedwith the seating-block aforementioned. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the seating-block. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of my device with the block and cartridge shell in position. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the device as shown in Fig. 6, in addition showing the device known as a wad-starter for condensing and graduating wads into the shell as they are pressed in by a rammer or ramrod. This section is so taken as to give a lateral view of the farther half of my support, and a central sectional view of the seatingbloek, shell, and wad-starter, the latter being shown in working position on the shell. Fig. 8 shows my device holding a shell, the seating block being removed. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of my device with seating-block in position, holding a wad-starter, and a shell located within the wad-starter. Fig. 10 represents in perspective a View of the said holding device, the seating-block being omitted, the view being given to show a useful shape of the lips extending from the free-end portions of the curved arms.

My holder is preferably made of thin sheet metal-as brass or tin, or the like. In order that all of the advantages of my invention be realized, those portions of the holder which grasp the shell and seating-block should possess a certain degree of elasticity. The device is preferably made in one piece, and in such IOC case, and when made of sheet metal, it is best to cut the blank in the shape shown in Fig. 1, I

the dotted lines in the figure indicating the points at which the bends'are to be made. The blank is then bent by dies, stamping, or any suitable means to the shape, shown in Fig.- 2, which may be described as consisting of a back or support, A, from each leaflet, of which two arms, B B, are curved forward and each terminating in a lip, m. From the upper part of the back A two'similar arms, 0, project forwardly and terminate likewise in a flaring lip, n. The circular space embraced by the arms 0 G is smaller than that made by the arms B B, but its center is immediately over that of the latter.

The only Variation which would present points of advantage over the construction here described would be in having the union of the lips 02 n m m with their respective arms, 0 O, B B, curved, as shown in Fig. 10, instead of sharp, as shown in the other figures. At the same time they might be curved outwardly at their ends, giving the point of entrance a somewhat greater flare, as shown in Fig. 10.

The usual seating-block, D, has in its upper surface a depression or recess, of proper size and shape to receive the end of a cartridgeshell. (See Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 9.) The under surface of this block is cut away to form a capcavity, h, which connects with the depression 9 above by means of the opening it. The metallic portion of the holder-viz., upright A, arms B B O G-with the wooden seating-block, forms a complete device, very useful in decapping and in the loading of cartridgeshells. In using the device the seatingblock D is pushed between the lips m m and toward space H. The lips m m separate before it and allow it to enter the said space H between the arms B B, which latter immediately close behind it by reason of their elasticity, and hold it, as shown in Fig. 4:. Similarly the cartridgeshell E is placed between the lips a a and passed toward space I, inclosed by arms 0 C, and they arms separate and the shell is slipped into position between the arms 0 G, and then pushed down until it rests on the block D, as shown in Fig. 6. These operations are performed with ease and rapidity, and when once down we have the cartridge-shell firmly held upon the block ready for loading. The back I A and the arms B B and lips m m give so much stability to the device that no ordinary amount of force will overturn it. The sectional view in Fig. 7 shows how the device is used to assist in decapping. A spent shell is placed in position, and by means of a thin rod passing through the hole 6 in the bottom E of shell E the cap F may be forced through the opening it into the cap-cavity h. A number of shells may be uncapped in this way until the cap-cavity h becomes filled, when the de-. vice is lifted and the caps brushed aside.

Fig. 8 illustrates the method of using my holder when for any reason it is desired to dispense with the use of the seating-block D.

As will be seen, it holds the cartridge-shell very firmly, the broad base afforded by the arms B B, lips m m, and back A being advantageous. To reduce the circle of the arms B B to the same size as the one above, in order that it could grasp the shell closely, would be disadvantageous for two reasons: First, it would render the support less stable, and, second, it would prevent its use with the seatingblock D.

The wad-starter G (see Figs. 7 and 9) con sists of tube G, large enough to slip over the cartridge. The wad-starter is contracted over the edge of the mouth of the shell to form the neck 9, and above this point it flares upward and outward into the funnel-top G A wad is placed in the top G and is readily forced past the neck 9, where it is slightly compressed; but as soon as it passes this point it immediately expands inside the cartridgeshell. This wad-starter is only illustrated to show its use with my device. When using it, it must be slipped over each shell just before placing the latter in the holder. The arms 0 C will then grasp and hold it and the shell within it, and the shell can be loaded, and the wads at the proper times be inserted into the shell and pushed down to place. 7

When desired, the arms may be stiff and the wing-like projections or lips m mbe omitted; but I prefer that the lower arms be elastic, as they will then, when the seating-block is used, grasp it firmly, thus affording a greater stability and enabling the block and the shell to be lifted together with the holder, and it is desirable that the upper arms be elastic, as they will hold the shell firmly, and hold it perfectly still and prevent it from moving laterally about in the holder while being decapped or loaded.

The holder may be made of spring sheet metal in two halves, one half consisting of one arm, 0, with its lip, and one arm, 0, with its lip united by one of the pieces forming the upright A. These two halves may be united together by soldering, riveting, 8w. When preferred, the spring-arms may be riveted to the upright, or the upright cast with or around the ends of the spring-arms; butIprefer to make the holder as first heretofore described.

My device may be applied to other uses than holding cartridge-shells, among which may be mentioned its use as a bouquet-holder and as a candle-stick.

The various features of my invention are preferably employed together; but one or more of said features may be employed without the remainder.

\Vhat I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A cartridge-shell holder consisting of a thin plate forming arear projection, said plate having a pair of spring-arms projecting from the front edge thereof, substantially as described.

2. A cartridge-shell holder consisting of a rearwardly-projeoting sheet of metal forming a support and handle, said plate having a pair of open-ended arms projecting from the upper front edge thereof, andhaving a spring-socket projecting from the lower front edge thereof, substantially as described.

3. Thecombination, with a thin metallic socket at one edge thereof to embrace said 20 block, and a pair of spring-arms above the same, having a recess between them of less diameter than the block, as set forth.

6. A cartridge-shell holder having the vertical support A, consisting of a doubled sheet 25 of metal terminating in the arms 0 G, carrying lips, and havinga basal support, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. A cartridge-shell holder having the vertical support A, consisting of a doubled sheet 30 of metal terminating in the spring-arms G 0, having lips in n, and in the lower larger arms, B B, having lips m m, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

WILLIAM HUBBELL FISHER. Attest:

J NO. W. STREHLI, O. M. HILL. 

